The move from projection and CRT TVs to LCD and plasma TVs saved home theater lovers lots of space in their homes and the thinner sets looked much more attractive as well. The next big change in HDTV sets will come in the form of OLED TVs.

Sony announced yesterday that it would sell the world’s first OLED TV in Japan with a screen size of 11-inches and a price tag of about $1,744 USD. Following Sony’s announcement, Toshiba President and CEO Atsutoshi Nishida announced today that Toshiba was going to have its own 30-inch OLED TV on the market by 2009.

Nishida is quoted by TechOn as saying Toshiba previously projected its OLED TVs to reach the market in “2015 to 2016.” Toshiba is also reportedly getting both high-end and commodity OLED TVs ready for consumers.

Part of the problem that makes OLED technology currently expensive and the lead-time for larger OLED TV screen sizes longer is the immaturity of the method for producing OLED panels. Current OLED panels are difficult to manufacture and degrade over time with a lifespan of only 30,000 hours according to PC World. The average LCD TV has a lifespan of around 50,000 hours.

The benefits of OLED technology in TVs are thinner screens and higher contrast ratios along with faster response times. OLED technology requires no backlighting, which allows for the much thinner cabinet sizes.

Ahh so it will only be 10k by then instead of 12. These things are still horridly overpriced to me. Though i admit once they finally get down in price (lets shoot for 2015) it will be a very interesting technology. Though i think SED development would be better, at least for now. Stupid lawsuits

there is only one comercial available product right now, and its really not badly priced for a first release. plasmas were over $10,000 when they were released. and after two years i feel like the 30" would be closer to $4-6,000. which sint to say thats a low price for a TV that size. but introduction prices of new technology are dropping faster than ever before. look at how quick HD DVD players came down. and peope are still complaining they are too expensive. they are 1/3 the introduction price in less than two years, thats not bad. look at plasma TV it took forever for those to come down, and they are still crappy.